No Quarter
by dave-d
Summary: The kind of story that comes about after listening to too much Led Zeppelin. Norway. Snowy mountains. Enemy Arm Slaves. Sousuke closing in on Kaname's location.
1. Chapter 1

Everything was white.

Snow was deep on the ground, and falling in enormous rippling windblown sheets.

As befits the concept of camouflage and mountain warfare, Sousuke's 'borrowed' Venom was white in color too, making it difficult to see as it plowed its way through the enormous drifts filling the valley.

Unfortunately, the enemy Arm Slaves were identical, making the deadly game they played extremely anxiety-filled. Due to the storm, none of the external locating devices would work. The radar was blinded, and the only thing that the external microphones could pick up was the constant howl of the wind. It sounded like the call of a pack of wolves.

_Close the door, put out the light.  
You know they won't be home tonight.  
The snow falls hard and don't you know?  
The winds of Thor are blowing cold.  
They're wearing steel that's bright and true  
They carry news that must get through. _

_They choose the path where no-one goes._

_They hold no quarter._

The words to a song echoed through the young pilot's head, causing him to think back to simpler days, when he was a member of the SRT aboard Da Danaan. Kurz would blast his music. Melissa would treat the long-haired sniper like a punching bag. Sousuke would sit quietly and watch the antics of his teammates.

"I hope they are still alive," Sousuke muttered, rubbing his eyes. Strangely enough, he almost felt as if he was going snow blind, even though he had been staring intently at a view screen, not out through a window. It must be a psychological effect.

During his one man odyssey, he had been unable to find out anything definitive about Mithril. No one whom he had spoken with during his trek across Asia and Europe knew anything about Tessa, Kurz, Melissa, or any of the others. It had been hard enough piecing together information about Kaname.

"It's one more thing I owe them," Sousuke said, thinking about Leonard Testarossa and the ruling members of Amalgam. He had fought for revenge in the past. He could do so again. If his friends were dead, he would make certain to take some of the enemy down with him, before his own time was up.

His primary goal was something altogether different, however. Never before in his life had he fought for love. Until he had met Kaname… and come to treasure her… the idea of fighting for someone merely meant fighting for a comrade… a fellow soldier. He had been willing to give up his life numerous times in the past, party because his life had meant very little to him. He had been a feral animal, trying to survive. Today… in that desolate stretch of mountain… he wanted very much to live. If he died, there would be no way to bring Kaname home as he had promised.

_Walking side by side with death, The devil mocks their every step  
The snow drives back the foot that's slow, The dogs of doom are howling more  
They carry news that must get through, To build a dream for me and you _

_They choose the path where no-one goes._

"I can't let the message get through." Sousuke clenched his teeth. Holding the Venom's feet in one specific manner, he was able to maintain the balance of the machine with an unbelievably deft touch, using the broad and flat surfaces like a toboggan as he surfed the A.S. down along one long steep slope. "This weather is more friend than foe…"

It was true. The storm was one of the greatest on record, and had knocked out communications systems and hubs throughout the afflicted countries of the Lapland region. Relay stations for satellite communications were bollixed, and the individual units for the Arm Slaves were hopelessly frazzled. At least for now.

His presence was no secret. Not after he had taken out three enemy machines in a brutal surprise attack. Rather than overwhelm him, a number of the enemy craft had taken off running, looking to bring word back to base. Their top order was to inform their leaders if and when they caught sight of a potential foe. He couldn't allow them to do that, and not only for his own sake. Snow storm or no snow storm, they would move Kaname again if they knew that someone had located her. He might never pick up clues of her location again.

Snow jumped off of a large stand of evergreens. Shots from a Gatling gun had just missed Sousuke's Venom, decapitating the stout and ancient trees. Causing the machine to make a prodigious leap, he quickly buried himself in a massive snow drift at the mouth of a nearby ravine. His hiding place could not be seen from the precise angle the enemy fire had come from.

_They hold no quarter. They ask no quarter.  
The pain, the pain without quarter.  
They ask no quarter.  
The dogs of doom are howling more!_

He would grant no quarter. That much went without saying. In his own way, he was a dog of doom tracking down his adversaries, just as they and the capricious weather were the hounds nipping at his own mechanized heels. It didn't matter if the devil mocked him, or those he fought against. He would win through this. He had to. For Kaname.

The swirling winds occasionally died down or changed directions, giving brief clear views of the rocky landscape. He couldn't afford to lay concealed for too long, with just an external camera system thrust above the covering snow. This was a perfect place for ambush, but there was no guarantee that the pilot who shot at him would walk his machine this way. What's more, the longer he waited, the closer the other two enemies would get to their base, or any nearby safe-house.

Tapping his fingers impatiently against the control levers, Sousuke willed himself to be calm. His mind wandered ever so slightly, as he thought about the series of events that had brought him through Belarus, Latvia, Estonia, and Russia, leading up to his theft of an Amalgam Arm Slave in northern Finland. It was amazing that he had gotten as far as he had. Now, against all odds, he found himself buried under the fresh snows of Finnmark, the largest and least populated area of Norway. Why the hell had the organization built a secret research facility in _this_ place!

Svartfjell. Øksfjordjøkelen. Seilandsjøkelen. The names of the mountains and glaciers he had passed by were too damn difficult to pronounce. One thing was certain. He was a long way from Tokyo. He would rather be in a warm school learning about geography, than be sitting in a machine whose hydraulic fluid threatened to freeze, leaving him part of the cursed Scandinavian landscape.

_The snow falls hard and don't you know?  
The winds of Thor are blowing cold.  
They're wearing steel that's bright and true_

The song. The relentless snow. The damned white world he found himself in. The urge to kill or be killed. It all blended together, causing him to think about Vikings and Norse gods they worshipped. He thought back to his first days aboard the TDD-1. A crusty old engineer had befriended him, giving him some old worn books to read. The man had been from Sweden, and the books had included a translation of the _Prose Edda_, a picture book on ancient Scandinavian artifacts, and a primer on Norse mythology.

"If this were underground, it could easily be Niflheim." Sousuke clenched his teeth. He was growing antsy. He felt a need to act, not lay still. But, he wouldn't do Kaname any good to rushing out and getting killed, or doing something rash that left his machine injured beyond repair. Needless to say, there were no friendly repair facilities nearby. Looking at the shifting snows on his view screen, he almost expected to see Hel. The goddess, a daughter of Loki and the giantess Angrboða , was the ruler of the cold shadowy Norse underworld.

In Norse cosmology, the earth is represented as a flat disc situated in the branches of the world tree, _Yggdrasil_. Asgard, where the gods lived, was located at the center of the disc, and could only be reached by walking across a rainbow known as the Bifröst bridge. The Giants lived in an abode called Jötunheimr. Álfheimwas the home of the light-elves, the loafer. Svartálfaheim was the home of the dark-elves, the svartálfar. In between Asgard and Niflheim was Midgard, the world of men, called Middle Earth by some.

Sousuke rubbed the back of his neck. Was Mithril like the light elves, going up against the dark elves of Amalgam? Was he, a lone man, brashly going up against gods or giants?

"No," he said, shaking his head. "This will be Ragnarok." That mythological conflict would supposedly be waged between the Æsir… led by Odin… and their aggressors, the fire giants and various monsters… led by the traitor god Loki. During that apocalyptic conflagration, many of the gods would perish, and the universe would be torn asunder.

Sousuke didn't care what happened to the rest of the world, if he couldn't save Kaname. If he caused terrible amounts of death and destruction the process of freeing her from captivity, he wouldn't blink an eye. This confrontation had been building for a long time. He would love to take down Leonard Testarossa, his own personal Loki. But, he wasn't going to let personal vendettas get in his way.

Blood dripped off of his chin and splattered on the white A.S. suit he had taken from a dead Amalgam pilot. He had bitten his lip clean through, without realizing it. That wasn't like him. The stress of the situation was getting to him. Being so close to Kaname had him feeling too much anticipation. He needed to relax. He had to fight his best fight.

"Kaname is my Iðunn," Sousuke said. "I do not wish to think about life without her." In Norse mythologyIðunn was one of the goddesses, a custodian of the apples which allowed the Æsir and Vanir to maintain their eternal youthfulness, but did not bring immortality.

She was once abducted with her apples by the giant Þjazi, who used Loki as a stooge to lure Iðunn out of Ásgarðr. During her absence, the Æsir began to age without the rejuvenating qualities of her apples, prompting them to press Loki into the task of rescuing her. Borrowing Freyja's falcon skin, the trickster retrieved Iðunn, transforming her into the form of a nut for the flight back. Þjazi, displeased, pursued them in the form of an eagle, but was defeated by having his wings set alight by a bonfire created by the waiting gods.

Sousuke certainly felt as if he had aged far beyond his years during the trek to rescue the girl he loved. Before meeting her, he had never felt the weights and pains of life. Now, they threatened to overwhelm him. What's more, the people whose lives he had touched had suffered the slings and arrows of mortality themselves. He sighed when an image of nami crossed his mind. He didn't know if his life could ever magically return to what it had been, before battling Leonard and _Belial_ in the streets of Tokyo. But, he was determined to find out.

"There!" Sousuke had caught brief sight of the enemy A.S. as it passed the front of the ravine. The image was quickly obscured, preventing him from taking a well-placed shot. That didn't matter. If he rushed out now, he could attack from behind, before the bastard knew what hit him. Pushing hard on the controls, he shot the Venom to its feet, shrugging off a large amount of powdery snow. He took the wicked anti-armor dagger into one free hand, slinging the hand-held cannon next to the shoulder-mounted Gatling gun.

The Old Norse vision of the future was remarkably bleak. Anyone versed in that topic would know that the forces of evil and chaos far outnumber and overcome the divine and human guardians of good and order. Right now, Sousuke found himself in just such a numerically unfavorable situation. But, as long as he could face them one on one, he had a chance. Indeed, even though the gods and heroes are destined to fail in the end, with Odin himself swallowed by Fenris the wolf, there will be a few survivors, both human and divine. In the sagas, they are the ones who will populate a new world.

The lyrics to another song entered his thoughts uninvited, as he ran his machine through the deep snow at the valley floor. Not usually one to remember tunes or riffs, he nonetheless felt his heartbeat keeping pace with what few snatches of music he could remember.

_Ahh-h ah ahhh-hh-h ah  
We come from the land of the ice and snow,  
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.  
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,  
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming! _

_On we sweep with threshing oar, Our only goal will be the western shore._

He was not the oarsman on a Viking ship, headed for battle and plunder. But, jogging his A.S. across one of the lands that the Norse warriors had come from, he could imagine himself clad in armor, a helmet on his head and an axe in his fist. There were no horns on his helm in that brief mental image. That kind of thing was merely latter-day myth created by national romantic ideas in Sweden at the end of the 19th century. The Venom was his armor and helmet. He had been driven to a new land. He would fight the horde. He would see her again!

"Yes!" Finally, a prolonged break in the gusting wind. He could clearly make out the form of his adversary. The other Venom was moving slowly, as if the pilot was concerned about an ambush, having lost sight of him. He had reason to be concerned. But, it would not be an ambush. Wishing to conserve ammunition, Sousuke passed up a chance at taking a potential kill shot with either of his guns. That gave the other man the opportunity to catch sight of him as he leaped across the rocky terrain. "Let's get this done!"

He threw his machine into a tremendous leap, just as the enemy pilot fired his multi-barrel weapon, sending projectiles deep into the snowy ground where he had been running. Dagger held in front of him, he felt a visceral lust for combat grow inside him, the kind of thing he usually felt in hand-to-hand skirmishes.

The Amalgam Venom's Gatling gun continued to rotate, but was out of ammunition. Before the pilot could bring out his own hand held weapons, he must have realized that the end was near. Looking at his view screen, he saw Sousuke's A.S. descending on him like a huge chunk of ice shot from a catapult. Despite several attempts, he hadn't been able to get his thrice-be-damned Lambda Driver system to activate. The unreliable nature of his equipment cost him his life.

_Ahh-h ah ahhh-hh-h ah  
We come from the land of the ice and snow,  
From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow.  
How soft your fields so green, can whisper tales of gore,  
Of how we calmed the tides of war. We are your overlords. _

Tales of gore, indeed. Even before Sousuke felt his Venom's feet touch earth, he had rammed the dagger into and through the pilot's compartment of the other machine. Blood mixed in with fountaining hydraulic fluid. With one final contemptuous blow, he cut a slash across the metal face of the Arm Slave, as if he were branding it a criminal or slave. In this battle against a fleeing foe, _he _was the overlord. He would leave no doubt of that.

It was illogical. He knew that. Just the same, he grunted, feeling a certain sense of satisfaction. The enemy pilot probably never met Kaname. He might not even have known that a Whispered girl was being held prisoner by his superiors. Just the same, Sousuke felt as if he had struck a blow for the blue-haired girl. Looking down at the control panel, he stared at a picture of her that he showed to anyone he hoped to get information from. He had taped it there. Nodding his head, he ran a finger over it before setting off again.

"Which way?" He reached a pint where the valley slit into two forks. With the strong wind forming drifts as he watched, there would be no way to follow tracks. For all he knew, the other two Venoms could have split up and taken different paths. Even worse, they may have done so leagues earlier, if they knew something about the countryside that he didn't.

Had he been an ancient Norseman, he might have prayed to Viðarr,god of stealth and revenge, hoping the silent son of Odin would grant him opportunity to run down his foe. In the tales, that god was destined to kill Fenris by stepping on his lower jaw with his foot, taking the wolf's upper jaw in hand, and tearing the beast apart. Sousuke could identify with him, as he wanted to do the same to Amalgam.

As a Viking, he might also have offered sacrifices to Tyr, the one-handed god of battles and bravery. He too had a connection to Fenris, who along with Hel and the sea serpent Jörmungandr were the children of the trickster Loki. The monster wolf broke every chain that the gods tried to put upon him, until they had the dwarfs make them a magical ribbon called _Gleipnir_ from the sound of a cat's footfall; the beard of a woman; the roots of a mountain; the sinews of a bear; the breath of a fish; and the spittle of a bird.

Fenrir had sensed the gods' deceit and refused to be bound with it unless one of them put his hand in his mouth, pledging to release him if he failed to break the chain. Tyr, known for his great courage, agreed, and the other gods bound the wolf. Fenris bit off the god's hand, when the other Æsir would not keep their word . While the young soldier had no desire to end up like that… or to die as Tyr was fated to do in the jaws of the monstrous dog Garm… he knew it might be more realistic for him to think of limiting Amalgam's plans, rather thinking he could destroy Leonard and his peers.

"Maybe Thor," Sousuke said. This mission was more akin to something the red-bearded god would have undertaken against the Frost Giants. After choosing one direction and heading off at full speed, he thought about the fate of that well-known hero. During Ragnarök, Thor would supposedly kill and be killed by Jörmungandr, the Midgard Serpent, a creature that had grown so large that it was able to surround the Earth. Amalgam had done the same, in a sense. But, Thor's beloved Sif had been his wife, not girlfriend. And, she had golden hair, not blue. That hair had been made for her by dwarfs, after Loki had cut off her own hair. He sighed, knowing that a genius like Leonard would never try anything like that with Kaname. Why would anyone want to remove her hair?

As the Venom continued on its dash through the snowy wasteland, Sousuke couldn't help but think about Leonard. Compared to other men, he might seem to have godlike powers, thanks to his staggering intellect, his perfect looks, and the technology at his command. Sousuke wasn't fooled by any of it, even though he felt somewhat inferior, after the defeat at the silver-haired man's hand.

Could Kaname have fallen for someone like that, over time? The two of them were Whispered, after all. Did that somehow mean that they were meant for one another? Was that the tragic truth that awaited him? Doubts clouded his thoughts much the same way that snow obscured his sensors. He pounded one fist hard against the control panel. Leonard might be a trickster and smooth talker like Loki, but he was plainly evil. How could Kaname ever forget some of the things that he had said and done?

"She can't have forgotten me… or the things that I had told her…" Sousuke gripped his controls tightly again. Even though it had been difficult for him, he had confessed his feelings. He had told her that he loved her, back when she wanted him to run away with her, before she had left willingly with Leonard so that the bastard would let him live. "The things that he did to Kyouko will not be easily forgiven…"

Sousuke closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had been defeated by opponents in the past. He had come up against men who had out-thought him, out-maneuvered him, and out-gunned him. He tried to convince himself that it was unreasonable for a soldier to obsess on any one opponent; but, he knew too many examples where entire armies had worried about a particular general or ace. What's more, like Gauron and Seina before him, Leonard had kidnapped Kaname. How could he not dwell on that fact?

"He wasn't right about me…" Sousuke felt his throat go tight, thinking back to the day that Tessa's brother had been at Kaname's apartment, accompanied by two Arastols. Leonard had compared to a serial killer. "This is different…" He was ready to tear apart dozens of men, if that meant he could rescue Kaname. But, part of him worried what she might think about him afterwards. "It doesn't matter. She can despise me if she wishes, as long as she is safe and free." He would not kill indiscriminately, or in a red rage. But, for those enemies that stood in his way, there would be no mercy.

_The snow falls hard and don't you know?  
The winds of Thor are blowing cold. _

The winds were so strong now that he could actually feel the Arm Slave being buffeted by the fiercest gusts. He wasn't having an easy time of it himself. In the past three days, he had gotten a total of five hours sleep at best. He hadn't bathed or shaved in over a week, and would be a fragrant surprise to Kaname when he found her again. He had lived like an animal, using the countryside as his restroom, and sometimes resorting to using the cabin of the Venom, so that it smelled like the bad section of a subway station.

His stomach growled. It had been a while since he had last eaten. By necessity, he had melted snow on a number of occasions, to make drinking water. He was locked on his task the way a heat-seeking missile locks onto its target. The storm was a godsend that couldn't be wasted. Kaname could be moved at random at any moment when the weather cleared. Any delay could lead to his to being discovered before he made the next crucial move.

"The Thunderer had it easy," Sousuke said. The stories described Thor traveling in a chariot drawn by the goats Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, along with his servant and messenger Thjálfi and his sister Röskva. Both the goats and the chariot were said to be magic. When Thor was hungry, he would roast the goats for a meal. When he wanted to continue his travels, he need only touch the remains of the goats and they would be instantly restored to full health to resume their duties, as long as the bones had not been broken.

Sousuke would gladly give just about anything for some roast goat. He would have drooled, if he had enough spit left to salivate. Eyes closed, he remembered the smell of meat wafting across the campsite, from his days with the mujahideen. As long as he was being so free with his wishes, he would happily borrow the thunder god's war hammer _Mjollnir, _which, when thrown at a target, returned magically to the owner. That would require the belt _Megingjord, _which had the ability to double the god's strength. Yawning, he rubbed his eyes again and went about rechecking his ammunition stores. This wasn't a comic book or movie. _His_ supplies were finite.

He thought back to those days spent fighting the Soviet invaders in Afghanistan. Orphaned, he had found a family of sorts with the freedom fighters. He had been taken in, since the enemy of an enemy was a friend. As a child, he was indoctrinated into the ways of Islam, but had never found himself taking that way as his own. Just the same, he had fought as ruthlessly as the grown men, following the words of one of their commanders: 'God says, give no quarter to Infidels, but cut their throats. Then, know this is the command of the great God'.

Sousuke had been taught to be ruthless. He was told to know his enemies… to besiege them at any opportunity… and to lay in ambush whenever and wherever the chance arose. He grew to be relentless, impressing the hard men he served. When he moved on to new masters, he no longer fought for the old causes. But, he still fought with single-mindedness and ferocity. He knew that frightened Kaname sometimes. It had even unnerved Kurz and Melissa on more than one occasion. But, it was who he was. It would not be too large a stretch of the imagination to picture himself as a Viking warrior massacring everyone he came across during a raid, had he been born during those times, with that set of ethics and mores.

"Kaname…" He looked down at the photograph again. He wasn't fighting for rape and plunder. He wasn't battling unbelievers to gain his place on a jeweled couch in Paradise, waited on by immortal youths with bowls and ewers of purest wine, and pleasured by virgins as fair as corals and rubies, reclining on green cushions and fine carpets. He was here for _her_. "Shit…"

He had become way too distracted, thinking about Kaname and the concept of virginity at the same moment. Not catching sight of a jutting rock outcrop in time, he was unable to correct his path in time to prevent the Venom from taking a nasty tumble. Bouncing, sliding, and rolling, the machine found its ay down into a small crevice. Fortunately, there was no serious mechanical injury. Undoing his harness, he moved one arm, relieved to find that the pain in his shoulder was not from a dislocation.

Sometimes it is better to be lucky than to be good. This was one of those times. When the winds died down briefly, he caught sight of two important things from his unexpected vantage point. First, the enemy pilots had taken time to build a deadfall of sorts, propping some huge boulders underneath some supporting trees, which had been torn out of the frozen ground roots and all. Had he triggered that trap, the game would have been over. Second, he managed to catch a glimpse of an ascending path between crags, one he might have missed in the heavy snowfall. Even better, he caught sight of movement.

_Walking side by side with death, The devil mocks their every step  
The snow drives back the foot that's slow, The dogs of doom are howling more_

Yes. He had been a few steps from death. It was a sobering realization. But, life as a soldier often came down to that. This wasn't the first time. It wouldn't be the last. The big thing was to make the most of the boon he was granted.

Bringing the Venom back to its broad feet, he ran a quick systems check with special attention paid to structural integrity. When a bank of lights was glowing green… with one orange-blinking individualist… he pushed things back up to full military power and found the entrance to his frozen stairway. He acted not a minute too soon. The wind returned, whiting out his view of the surroundings. That was reason to smile. It would be hard for his prey to know when he was breathing down his or her neck.

_Your head is humming and it won't go because you don't know  
The piper's calling you to join him  
Dear lady can't you hear the wind blow and did you know  
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind_

Sousuke wasn't certain why that song verse came to mind. It was yet another tune he had heard in the launch bay of the TDD-1, while the SRT was prepping for battle. It could be the fact that the tricky trail he followed did indeed look like a stairway that could lead to Asgard, if not Heaven. He certainly didn't know enough about Celtic folklore, despite serving aboard a submarine with the named _Tuatha Da Danaan_, to make any connection with pipers and May Queens. But, the one saying he knew about pipers made sense: 'He who pays the piper calls the tune'. He held the figurative coin in his fist now, as long as he went undetected.

He thought more that song. That fact that it was thought by some to be one of the greatest of all rock songs of all time, and one of the most frequently requested songs on radio, meant nothing to him. It was the underlying story that troubled his thoughts. It was about a woman who thought that her money could buy her happiness, and gain her way into Heaven.

"Money isn't everything." Sousuke knew that was true. But, he also knew that money was very useful. What would he do after he spirited Kaname away? When Mithril went under, his financial backing vanished. Not only that, the large sum of money he had earned over years of service was overseen by money men within the organization, not private brokers. That arrangement had seemed safe and convenient. Now, it left him penniless and a pauper. "I have made do before. I will do it again if necessary." Nothing could be harder than the first weeks following his parents death.

"Straight ahead. Keep moving. Avoid distractions. No quarter." Sousuke coughed, and his throat burned for a while after that. The climb was arduous and trying, even though it was the A.S. that was doing most of the work. Sweat trickled down his face, as he narrowly escaped disaster on numerous occasions. Because he was willing to risk all, he was gaining ground on his foe.

_Gonna ramble on, sing my song. Gotta keep-a-searchin' for my baby...  
Gonna work my way, round the world. I can't stop this feelin' in my heart  
Gotta keep searchin' for my baby. I can't find my bluebird!_

His bluebird!

Kaname _was_ his bluebird in a sense, and not just because of her hair. She had brought springtime into a life that had been bereft of seasons. She had brought a sense of purpose, where there had only been existence. Gauron had been wrong.

Bedridden and dying in Hong Kong, his former adversary had claimed that Kaname was dead, sapping away the Sousuke's will to fight on. Before that, he had laughed at him, saying that he had been ruined by hanging out with weaklings. Instead, after finding out that Kaname was alive… and she had kicked, punched, and elbowed him repeatedly to make up for the pain he had caused her… he had finally begun seeing Arbalest as a teammate, working together with the Al to take down five Venom Arm Slaves.

He had walked away from the ARX-7 at mission's end, acting against orders. He had confronted General Ammitt, talking to the great man in a manner that had left Cmdr. Mardukas weak in the knees, and had Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin saying how much more like a man he looked. He sighed, wondering how his father figure was doing. There had been worrisome concerns about his behavior just before Amalgam had struck.

_Ramble On, Gotta find the queen of all my dreams. _

Sousuke looked down at his hands. They fit so well into the recesses of the A.S. waldos, and seemed apt at manipulating the controls. But, when he had returned to school after leaving Kaname behind, he had been uncertain what to do with those hands. His emotions and humanity bubbling up close to the surface, he had wanted to put his arms around a the sobbing girl. He was certain that he would have done so, had Kyouko and the others not appeared, taking him to task for their friend's tears. Some time later, he had done his best to show hid feelings by giving her the Lapis Lazuli at the end of the cruise ship mission. He had gone even further, putting his feelings into words as best he could, not long before Leonard had come and snatched her up.

Indeed, Kaname had not made him weaker. She had not tarnished what had been the perfect killing machine. She had made him human. She had helped him become stronger.

_T'was in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair.  
But Gollum, and the evil one, crept up and slipped away with her, her, her...yeah._

_Gonna ramble on, sing my song. Gotta keep-a-searchin' for my baby...  
Gonna work my way, round the world. I can't stop this feelin' in my heart  
Gotta keep searchin' for my baby. I can't find my bluebird!_

"Damn!" Sousuke somehow managed to sense that danger was near, throwing the levers forward and causing the Arm Slave to leap just before a number of boulders careened off of the very site he had been standing on. He had reacted out of pure instinct. Neveretheless, lights were flashing on his control panel, signaling some slight damage to the left leg. He must have landed funny. "I miss you pal…"

It was strange, finding himself lamenting the loss of Arbalest and Al. For most of their time together, he had resented the white A.S., mainly because he couldn't get the Lambda Driver to work consistently. He had been surprised later to find out that the Artificial Intelligence had a similar opinion of the Black technology. He still couldn't fathom sharing thoughts and ideas with a mechanical device. But, there was no denying that he and Al had been sharing a common bond of sorts before Leonard had shattered his world. How he wished that he could personally throw the asshole into the fires of Mount Doom.

"She won't have changed…" Sousuke said, once again trying to chase away his fears about Kaname. In the Lord of the Rings, the One Ring had corrupted Frodo, despite his good and faithful heart. If it hadn't been for Gollum and his lust for his Precious, the ring and Sauron would never have been destroyed. Leonard was a smooth talking and persuasive man. Could his honeyed words, and a shared Whispered nature, corrupt someone like Kaname? "She left to save me…" She had to know that he would come for her, just the way that she had come for him.

Visibility improved dramatically, without any warning. Up ahead of him, its large white plume streaming out behind, one of the remaining Amalgam Venoms was passing around a bend, no more than one hundred yards in front of him and his machine. Slowing things down considerably, he stealthily looked around the curve of the rocky path. Trying to get a good idea of the terrain, he sought some optimal place to make his attack. There. Turn-about's fair play.

Huge sheets of snow and ice clung precariously to a flat vertical mountain face. The enemy would be passing under that natural deadfall in a matter of moments. Taking in every little detail, he knew what to do. More memories came to mind. He thought back to his first time at the controls of Arbalest, and how he had taken down one of the outclassed RK-92s. Perfect.

Seeing that the weather holding off longer than before, Sousuke said a word of thanks to no one in particular, and then made a risky dash towards a small cluster of scraggly trees. Wrapping the Venom's arms around the smallest, he tore it from the ground, and then used the great hands to strip off the boughs. Finished with that task, he hefted the tree and hurled it as if it were a war hammer. He watched as it flew end over end.

_Thump… thump… thump… thump… thump_

It was only a matter of heartbeats, but it almost seemed an eternity. The tree seemed to fly in slow motion. When it impacted high above the other A.S., the snow and ice appeared to break free again and again in his mind, even though the small and intentional avalanche took place only once. Tons of snow and rock plummeted downward, engulfing the unsuspecting enemy and sweeping him and his Venom off of the ledge and down to the distant valley floor.

"Doesn't matter if it's pretty," Sousuke remarked, thinking about Melissa Mao. She had jousted verbally with Kurz early and often. His long haired friend always crowed about the beauty of his shots. Their short-haired superior didn't care a whit about style.

Thor would have approved. The solution had come more from strength than wit. While his father Odin had been the god of the powerful and aristocratic, the war god had been the god of the common man. Not the brightest of the Æsir, he was depicted as being earnest, straightforward, and pragmatic. He was also rather rash. Sousuke could identify with him quite well.

Success came with a price. The trail he was on had been obliterated by the falling snow and ice. Looking for an alternate path to take, Sousuke began climbing a series of ledges, knowing that he needed to head in the same general direction that his erstwhile opponent had been traveling in. The Amalgam headquarters ought to be somewhere out there. So should the remaining other A.S. he had put to flight.

He would not be able to rely solely on swiftness of action and strength of hand when he reached the stronghold. Whether it turned out to be a fortress… an elegant chalet… a series of tunnels… or a cluster of skier's shacks… he would need some means to enter the base, locate Kaname, and then escape in one piece.

"Baka!" He barely managed to gain purchase of a lower ledge when the outcrop he grabbed hold of tore free from the mountainside. He had forgotten to use one of the legs as an anchor before pushing up with the other.

Taking a moment to catch his breath and regain his equilibrium, Sousuke wondered just what level of security Amalgam would keep in a research facility located far out in the middle of nowhere. Had Mithril remained an active threat, they would likely be on high alert, since a submarine cruising in the Barents or Norwegian Seas could easily launch Arm Slaves, cruise missiles, or VSTOL aircraft well within reach of these mountain ranges. But, as far as he knew, Mithril was no more, and no sovereign nations were making any moves against the pervasive organization.

He thought about a story he had heard about Thor. The war god had visited the stronghold of the giant king, Útgarða-Loki, who wondered if such a small being could be as strong as stories made him out to be. That king, ruler of the city Útgarðr in Jötunheimr, outwitted Thor and his companions. He had challenged the god to a series of contests, using his magic to trick them. Útgarða-Loki used a spell to make one of his giants run faster than Thor's swift servant, Thjálfi. He called Thor weak when he could only lift one paw of a cat, not telling the angry god that the cat was actually the Midgard Serpent with an illusion cast upon it. Thor was challenged to a drinking contest, where he was unable to empty a small drinking horn. The horn had actually been the ocean. He wrestled with a decrepit and toothless old giantess, unable to defeat her, since in reality she was Old Age, something that no mortal could beat. Loki lost an eating contest against fire personified.

Sousuke sighed, seeing why that vignette was pertinent to him. There was no way he could match wits with Leonard Testarossa and come out ahead. He could only hope that Tessa's brother would not be expecting him. While Leonard might not think much of him, he was certain that the other man would be a good judge of his combat skills, just the way that Útgarða-Loki had correctly judged Thor's abilities. The tricks the giant used were a necessary defense, since the god had been strong enough to defeat them all under the right circumstances. While Leonard and Belial had been victorious over Sousuke and Arbalest, there was no denying that Sousuke usually found some way to get things done.

"It's only a myth," Sousuke said, scowling. In that same tale, Thor had been furious when he learned the truth, swinging Mjöllnir over his head in preparation for a killing blow. But, the giant vanished. The stronghold disappeared, too, leaving only a wide and beautiful stretch of mountain.

The ascent up along the snowy pass was even more nerve-wracking after that. He reached mountain top after mountain top, but never caught sight of the single white A.S. moving through the vast white landscape. The possible ways that the enemy could go kept multiplying, not diminishing. The dangers became greater, the higher he climbed, and the more tired he got.

In his mind, he pictured an hourglass. The sand was pouring down relentlessly.The other pilot had all of the advantages. Where was the other Venom? The enemy pilot knew. Where was the Amalgam base? The enemy pilot knew that too. In contrast, all he could do was hope that the weather held off a little bit longer, and pray that he could catch sight of light reflecting off an A.S. or building. If the winds would stop for a long enough period of times, he might stumble across footsteps.

"Odin gave up an eye for knowledge." Sousuke massaged his temples. He wished that he had the two ravens Huginn and Muninn, who traveled the world to acquire information at Odin's request. Those mythical birds would mean a great deal more to him than the god's other noteworthy possessions: a spear that never missed, a gold ring that created other gold rings, and an eight-legged horse. "He would not be lost like this." The chief Norse god could see everything that happened in the universe from his throne Hlidskjalf.

If he could not be Odin at that moment, he would choose to be Heimdall. That god's senses were so acute, that he could hear the grass grow, and could see to the end of the world. He also didn't ever need to sleep. Thinking of that naturally had Sousuke yawning again. He also remembered reading that Heimdall had nine mothers. That brought back memoies, since he himself once had nine surrogate mothers amongst the camp followers of the Afghan fighters. He hoped that the similarities ended there. Heimdall was destined to be the last of the gods to perish at Ragnarök. He and Loki would kill one another.

What would one of the Norse gods do in this situation? Thor would probably laugh a lusty laugh, throw back a large horn of mead, and let fate take its course. What about a Viking warrior? Used to living life by the moment, a Norseman would probably do something similar.

Sousuke knew what it was like to live one day, with no worry about what the next day might bring. He had spent too many years existing in that fashion. But, during those dark times, he had never been able to reach out and grab the joy that life offered. When the day came to an end, a Viking might have found friends to laugh with, roast meat to fill his belly, and a willing wench to drag to his sleeping furs. Before he met Kaname Chidori, Sgt. Sousuke Sagara would return alone to his cabin, eat a plain role, and work on his weapons.

In the past, he had gone on a number of missions to rescue women, some of them Whispered. He did not always succeed. When an attempt ended in failure, he simply shrugged things off and prepared for the next mission. That kind of existence had been easier in some ways.

Things were different now, at least where Kaname was concerned. Her could not give up at some point, feeling he had done everything within reason.

"I also made a promise." Sousuke sighed when the winds returned and the lull in the snowfall ended. Picking one set direction, and taking note of compass and GPS headings, he set off at a steady pace. As he did so, he thought back to his confrontation with Eri Kagurazaka and his fellow students.

_"The one inside that white A.S. was... yes, it was me. I was... no I am a member of a certain mercenary force. Piloting an A.S. is my job. When I first came here, I told you that I was a transfer student. That was all a lie."_

_"Wait a minute... 'I'm sorry'... that's all you can say?" Ono-D had been livid. "Say that to Tokiwa! She's still in the hospital hooked up to a respirator, with tubes all over her body. You know the last word she said to her parents before she fell into a coma? She gave them a key to Chidori's apartment and asked them to take care of her hamster. She said that was her promise that she made with you!" He had grabbed Sousuke by the collar, anger competing with his sense of anguish. "Don't you guys even feel a single remorse for what you did to Tokiwa? She had nothing to do with this!"_

_After Ono-D was restrained, and had shouted out challenges and condemnations laced with profanity, Sousuke had managed to say his last bit. "I will bring her back," he had claimed. "I will bring her back. No matter what happens, I will bring her back to this place. That what I wanted to say." When everyone quieted down, he continued. "This is all my fault. There is no fault for her. That is why I will return her, right here. I promise."_

After saying what he had come to say, he had turned around, walked out of the classroom, out through the hallway, across the school grounds, and past the school gate. He had walked forward, without ever turning back. He had known what he had to do. Finding out how to do it had been the hard part.

There had been moments of disorientation and confusion, after Leonard and Kaname had disappeared. There had been days filled with boredom and frustration, as he searched for people with even the smallest shred of information. There had been days of excitement and sorrow, as he fought in a A.S. gladiatorial games. There had been days of sweating and aching muscles, as he worked aboard a tramp freighter. There had been days of beauty and discovery, as he hitch-hiked across the European countryside. There had been painful moments of guilt and self-doubt, whenever he found himself enjoying what he did. But, that was better than slipping into depression. He had done that in Hong Kong. He never wanted to do it again.

"This is not good." Sousuke shook his head. He had caught sight of the cockpit chronometer. At this longitude and latitude… during this time of year… there wasn't a lot of daylight left. It might be nice to sneak up on the secret base after dark. But, it would be impossible to find the base without sufficient light. "I cannot expect any chance for victory if I weather another night…"

There was enough power to keep the heating units going. Perched near one of the mountaintops, the newly accumulated snow prove easy enough to dig out of. But, if the other pilot got through, the new morning sun would bring aerial reconnaissance, snowmobile scouts, Arm Slaves, and ski troops.

_The snow falls hard and don't you know?  
The winds of Thor are blowing cold.  
They're wearing steel that's bright and true  
They carry news that must get through. _

_They choose the path where no-one goes._

For the next couple of hours, Sousuke pushed himself and his captured machine to the limit. He lost track of how many times he came close to disaster, finding loose areas of rock, or thinly covered holes in glaciers. His luck continued to hold true. He managed to escape whatever situation he found himself in. Then, when he almost felt too weary to continue, he caught sight of movement. There! Out on an immense frozen river of ice. Arm Slave! Unless Amalgam had other patrols in this area, that would be his quarry.

Pushing the levers full forward, he began slogging through the deeper areas of snow he came across at the nadir of the snowy basin he was crossing. Heading up a slight incline, he began familiarize himself with the Lambda Driver system one more time. Like the earlier prototypes, the newest production run of Venom machines continued to have sporadic problems with the advanced technology.

If he or his opponent could keep their system on line, and the other suffered inopportune failure, there would be little difficulty in predicting who the victor would be.

Sousuke shook his head violently, and then slapped himself hard on the cheeks. His eyelids were drooping. His vision was blurry. The white landscape looked to be moving past him at a snail's pace. Biting his lip, he clenched and unclenched one of his hands, after feeling his fingers grow numb. Holding the hand in front of him, he found that he had involuntary tremors. Too much stress. Too little food and rest. Gripping the controls too tightly for too long. It could be due to any or all of those, or something else altogether.

It was a difficult truth to believe at that moment, but he had been through worse than this in the past. With a goal in sight, he felt his mid grow sharper and his muscles relax. The chase continued.

_Valhalla, I am coming!_


	2. Chapter 2

White upon white.

Two pilots moved across the glacier, each with different goals. One sought to get a message through. The other meant to kill the messenger.

Still undetected, Sousuke gained ground steadily, ignoring the alarms that warned of an increasing risk of overheating. He knew how far he could push an M9. He still didn't know how far he could push the Venom.

"Not now!" He muttered curses under his breath. A number of read-outs were far into the red. Having little choice, he brought his A.S. to an immediate halt. A loud hissing noise heralded the venting of superheated vapors into the chill air. Great geysers of smoky gas shot forth from the body and limb joints of the tortured Arm Slave. If there were any aircraft in the vicinity, those rising plumes would serve as a good marker of his location.

Once the systems powered down, they would not restart until certain parameters were met, no matter how many times he toggled the levers. Sitting and waiting, willed himself to be calm. Short of getting out on foot and running, there was nothing he could do but wait. Fortunately, less than ten minutes had passed before the panels lit up and the systems came to life. In another five minutes the locks were released and he was free to move.

Loping across the snow, he hurried to make up lost ground. Risking another shut down, he pushed things past reasonable limits, running faster and faster, the closer he came to his target. The other pilot caught sight of Sousuke. There was no other reason for the enemy machine to stop, turn about, and activate the systems that bathed it in a pulsating nimbus of blue-white light.

"You wish to fight," Sousuke said under his breath. "Good. I am tired of the chase." He flexed his fingers again, before manipulating the controls that brought his own Lambda Driver to life. He actually smiled when the other pilot began trotting his machine directly at him, before breaking out into a run. Nodding his head, he did the same. He grabbed hold of the anti-armor dagger with one mechanical hand. The other he left free. That hand would be used to create force shields and weapons.

The two metallic titans rushed hard at one another, the sound of their approach wiped away by the gusting winds as the Arm Slaves crunched through névé, firn, and glacial ice. Like two ancient warriors out of the sagas, the men faced off, coming to a halt on top of one of the vast moraines. One Venom raised a hand holding a broad short ice-pick like weapon. The other A.S. raised an arm holding a dagger.

"For Kaname…" He formed a stout shield of energy around the free hand. Sweating heavily than before, he sent the A.S. barreling forward. In this footing, he could gain an advantage if he managed to knock his opponent off his feet. It was a risky move, since any slip or fall could prove his undoing.

The two white craft struck one another with tremendous force. Sousuke gained a slight advantage, shoving his enemy down the side of a moraine and pushing him or her backwards for a few yards. But, every attempt he made to use the energy field surrounding him was countered by his adversary. Before he knew it, he was the one being pushed.

The fight became very violent, very quickly. This was not a steel ballet, like a match between genteel swordsmen. This was a knock-down drag-out fight between two men who knew the true nature of powered combat. Move after move. Blow after blow. Strike and counter. At one point, able to force his Arm Slave's hand-held weapon through the shield, the enemy pilot scored a glancing blow on the side of the Venom's head. That sent small pieces of metal flying in a brief flash of sparks. Moments later, Sousuke was able to score a more significant hit with a buckshot-like spread of force needles shot forth from one of his Arm Slave's hands. Fluid began running down the leg of the opposing Arm Slave.

"Now!" Sousuke sent one tow line speeding towards his foe. He intended to wrap the wire around one leg, and then pull the other machine off of its feet. His eyes widened when the enemy A.S. caught the cord around the haft of its weapon. He grunted when it yanked hard and forced his machine to its knees. The other pilot followed up with a leaping hammer blow, crashing Sousuke and his Venom down to the snowy ground. Kaname's face flashed before his eyes. He watched as her photograph broke free and fell out of view. "I… won't… let… you…" Blood dripped down from the corner of his mouth. He had bitten his tongue.

There was a thunderous explosion of ice and slow. Desperate, Sousuke acted by forming an immense collection of energy directly beneath his own A.S. He and the other Venom were thrown skyward, tossed up above the glacial surface. The move left his readouts flashing red with multiple warnings; but, it gave him another chance. Bringing himself to his feet, he saluted the other pilot again. He nodded, spitting blood out of his mouth, when the other machine returned the signal. Normally, that kind of nicety would seem foolish and out of place. Standing in the snow blown Norwegian expanse, it seemed natural and right.

Try as he might a few minutes afterwards, Sousuke would not be able to recall the series of events that followed. Both Arm Slaves charged again. The blows were faster and stronger than before, each carrying a sense of urgency. One downward slash of the dagger, enhanced by a glowing edge of force, left the enemy Arm Slave minus one leg. An instant after that, his opponent's glowing shield flickered and died out.

As he watched, the cockpit opened and the pilot stepped down, hands raised over his head. "I'm sorry," Sousuke mouthed. He could not afford to leave a survivor. He felt dirty doing what must be done, Dashing forward, he cut the man in two, staining the white snow with a seeping blotch of red.

_They hold no quarter._

For a few brief moments after his win, Sousuke worried that it might have been a Pyrrhic victory. One of the leg joints on his A.S. locked, and seemed unwilling to release again. But, after a series of attempts, he finally managed to coax the recalcitrant flexure back to life. Hanging his head, he took a few moments to rest his eyes and breath slowly. He still felt very edgy, and his hands had a bad case of the jitters. The men he had been pursuing had all been stopped. He could rest now. At least for a little while.

Popping the hatch on his Venom, he jumped down into the brutally cold environment. Wanting to see if he could discover useful intelligence or identification papers, he walked over and rummaged through the enemy A.S. There was nothing of value there. His heart had skipped a beat when he saw that his opponent had kept a picture of a woman in his machine, just as he did. It was strange in a way, realizing that Amalgam pilots were people too. Not certain why he did so, he took the photograph and placed it in the hand of the disemboweled man. Walking back to his own machine, he used it to build a deep mound of snow over the bloody remains.

After that, he continued in the direction the other man had been headed. The glacier led up to a series of closely placed mountain peaks. On one of them, he thought he saw a glint of artificial light. That would be his goal for now. He hoped it was indeed a light. Darkness was falling quickly now.

He looked up. A helicopter passed over head, lights blinking. He had been oblivious to the fact that the sky above him was cloud-free for a great distance. As the twin-engine aircraft headed towards the source of the light, he felt naked. It was as if he felt that the passengers in that helicopter could see directly into his cockpit, recognizing who he was.

Close to an hour later, he came within scanning range of his destination. There was a huge set of interlocking metal doors built into one cliff-face. Hoping that there wasn't some kind of recognition sign he was ignorant of, he joined a short queue of Venoms that were lining up at that door. The fact that no one reacted and attempted to subdue or destroy him gave him a small boost in confidence. At the very least, he should be able to gain entrance to the secret base. What happened after that remained to be seen.

With each step the A.S. took, Sousuke found his throat growing thicker. This couldn't work. This shouldn't work. How could it possibly work? Maybe if this was an anime. Perhaps if it was bad action movie. He needed some kind of miracle!

One by one the Arm Slaves passed into the gigantic underground hangar. There were various types of aircraft kept there as well, along with fuel storage tanks and ammunition stores. A number of men with colored flags and orange-lit batons directed him to an empty A.S. bay. Moving smoothly, he parked the limping machine in between two craft covered with tarps ands cables. Those were probably new Arm Slaves. The attrition in this harsh land must be great. He caused the Venom's head to nod when one of the technicians gave him a thumbs up.

"It all rests on this," Sousuke muttered. If the Amalgam force was relatively small, and every man in every department knew everyone else, he was done for. But, if turnover was brisk, or the roster was sizeable, he might be able to pass himself off as a new transfer. He crossed his fingers, cracked the canopy, and listened the sound of compressed gas. Legs stiff, it took him a while to stand and slide down the side of the heavily damaged Venom.

"Looks like you took a beating!" The engineer who made that remark gave Sousuke a look of disapproval, paying more attention to the damage to the machine than to the young pilot's face. The man's face was darkly tanned. He might be a fresh transfer from elsewhere, unless this base had a recreation center, spa, and tanning salon.

"I came across an enemy," Sousuke said, thinking that a spin on the truth might serve him well. "Either that, or someone who snapped under the effects of this damn white land." He folded his arms across his chest and scowled, trying to seem none too pleased himself. "I did what it took to get back here to give my report. I will need to see someone from Intelligence as soon as possible. I had to leave some buddies behind. Please don't spread word any more than you have to. I feel like a coward, running when I wanted to stand and keep fighting."

As he spoke, he looked around the awe-inspiring structure. Who could have guessed that the enemy would build such extensive facilities in a place like this? Looking down at his watch, he pushed a button to save the GPS coordinates. Someday, a cruise missile might well hit the very same spot he was standing on. Eyes narrowed, he tried to learn the placement of every type of resource in the hangar area.

"Shit!" The mechanic smiled and looked more cheerful. He gave Sousuke a look of respect. "It looks like you have to be one hell of a pilot just to bring that baby home." Putting on a pair of leather gloves, the man dragged a number of heavy cables over to the Venom. They were hooked up to mobile diagnostic computers. "I've been here just under a week, and this is the worst shape I've ever seen one of these things in…" He coupled the cables to ports on the back of the A.S.

"Yes," Sousuke said, trying to sound smug. It was time to fish for some information. "Maybe something heroic like this can catch the eye of a pretty blue-haired wench." He made a face. He had meant to say 'girl.' "I'm surprised I haven't seen you here before." Saying something as brazen as that ought to erase any possible trace of doubt or suspicion from the other man's thoughts.

"Wench is right!" The engineer sighed. "That's not the half of it!" he shook his head. "Mr. Silver brought her for a tour down here once. She's got a mouth on her, that one does." He rubbed his nose and pushed a button, starting the damage assessment. "Take my advice. Don't even bother dreaming about someone like _her. _Find yourself someone cuddly and soft. That girl would have a porcupine crying!" He lowered his voice. "And… if Mr. Leonard heard you say anything about her… he'd send you out on patrol in your pajamas… without an Arm Slave!" He waved his hands in front of him, a worried look on his face. "I won't ever tell. I promise…"

"You are probably right," Sousuke said with an arrogant wave of his hand. "My love of danger will serve me poorly some day." He looked around again, making certain that he wasn't drawing unwanted attention. "I still feel like I'm new here. I guess I have to get it out of my system. Do you know where I might catch a look at her." He shrugged, as if it was no big deal one way or another. "I might get lucky and get to hear her chew someone out."

"You're a sadistic bastard, _aren't _you?" The other man chuckled, picking up a long paper printout. "I guess it takes all types to work out at this godforsaken dump." He smiled. "Can't beat the money though…" Smirking, he told Sousuke where he had caught sight of the blue-haired girl over the past few days. He also said that she might be confined to quarters, since Leonard had left in a helicopter a few hours earlier, during one of the breaks in the storm.

"Ciao!" Sousuke felt a touch queasy, putting on this kind of act. He was wandering into Weber territory. The word 'ciao' alone had him thinking back to any number of times where his friend had been shot down by members of the opposite sex. He tried to remember just how Kurz had acted. With jaunty body movements, he jumped down from the Venom and headed off towards a set of doors that appeared to lead to one of the main corridors. If he could move about without wandering into some area that was off limits… and no one at this base had ever studied the faces of the Mithril SRT pilots… he might stand a good chance of coming across Kaname.

No doubt she would be under some kind of guard. That, or someone might have put a homing device on her somewhere. It was what he would have done, had he been in charge of her abduction. Then again, Leonard Testarossa was supremely confident, bordering on arrogant. He might think that there was nowhere for his 'guest' to run.

"Ladies!" Sousuke called out to a number of women dressed in plain clothes. They had the look of administrative assistants about them. He swallowed hard when they giggled, waved and made suggestive gestures. He was operating under the assumption that a spy and infiltrator would do anything _but_ act blatantly flirtatious. While a noisy routine might draw attention, it should simultaneously put people at ease. They might easily think 'pilots are pilots' and pay him little mind. Of course, if one of those women had decided to respond more aggressively, his goose would have been cooked. As it was, the hip movement the one girl made caused him to start coughing.

Almost as if it were scripted, his run of good fortune continued. He caught sight of blue hair. Only by covering his mouth with his hand did he stop from shouting out Kaname's name. He hadn't gotten a good look at the woman's face; but, how many girls had blue hair? Outside of manga and anime, that is.

If he were a Norseman, he might think that Gefn was watching over him. Gefn was an aspect of faith, and was called on when one made an oath. She was the bringer of good luck and prosperity. She was also the goddess of gift-giving, virgins, and unmarried women. That had him coughing again, drawing looks from snooty types walking past with briefcases and clipboards in their hands.

Now was not the time to think about virgins. Sousuke also didn't want to think about the fact that all women who die unmarried go to Gefn. That was not going to happen to Kaname tonight. It wouldn't! he was too close to have things fall apart now. If there was anyone that fate owed a good turn or too, it was him. Kaname herself had not had the easiest life either.

The ancient Norse sagas had been epic tales written in prose, telling of the heroic deeds from days long gone. Those tales of worthy men, often romanticized or fantastic in their scope, always contained a sense of realism, dealing with the things in life that every man could understand. Elements critical to those stories included honor, destiny, fate, the supernatural, and personal character. Luck also had a central role. Men were supposed to be born with a certain store of good luck. When the good luck runs out, the man is doomed.

"I couldn't possibly have used up all my good luck," Sousuke said, thinking of the bad things that had happened to him in his life. Then again, he had come close to death innumerable times, but still managed to walk away. How many times had that happened today alone?

Trying to look calm, and acting as if he didn't have a care in the world, he began jostling people as he pushed himself through a cluster of people blocking his way. He paid no heed to their angry shouts or rude comments. Which way had she gone?

There! Another flash of blue. He hurried to catch up, without seeming out of place. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. A trained operative, he had no trouble picking out a number of small cameras hidden throughout the corridors and work areas. Gritting his teeth, he tried to act more relaxed. It would be one thing to make the support staff unhappy. It would be something much worse to call down the wrath of watching security forces.

The further he went into the Amalgam base, the more stares he drew. He was getting the distinct impression that A.S. pilots usually didn't come into this part of the facilities. Now, instead of using Kurz as a cue, he chose Mao. "What the f-ck are you all looking at? Never seen a damn pilot before?" He struck an insolent pose. "Shit!" Most of the assorted workers hurried about their business. A number of men who were doubtlessly guards scrutinized him closely. They looked at one another, frowned, and went on their way.

Sousuke felt his breath coming quicker, as he headed down a narrow hallway. He was pretty sure that the blue-haired woman had come this way. It looked like this part of the base was new construction. There were wires handing from places in the ceiling, but no cameras attached yet.

"**Keep your hands off of me!" **

An irate woman's voice sent chills up and down his spine. That was Kaname Chidori alright. No doubt about it. "These stupid shoes I was given to ear don't fit, and my feet hurt. I'm waking as fast as I can. _Jerks!" _Her security detail must get the brunt of her discontent. Good. It served them right!

Sousuke found himself running. He brought himself to a halt, and then resumed his movement, sliding stealthily along the wall. That kind of action would be hard to explain if someone came upon him before he knew it. Peering around one corner, he saw her. He froze for a moment, wondering if he was dreaming. Closing and opening his eyes, he saw that she was still there. She was accompanied by two men in grey suits, each of whom had telltale bulges in the places where operatives tended to keep weapons. Professionally, he sized them both up, taking stock of the way they moved.

Kaname's hair looked the same as always. There was a large red bow at the end of it, and it swayed with an almost hypnotic motion as he watched. Her clothing was different, though. She looked like she had stepped out of a European fashion magazine, or was the executive secretary for a big CEO. Sousuke gasped louder than he wanted, not realizing that he had been holding his breath. She looked more beautiful than he remembered.

"I can find my way to my room the way I _usually_ do," Kaname exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips. "I don't know why that guy thinks I need a pair of guard dogs to sniff at my heels. _Geeee-eee-ee-ez_…" She tossed her hair when the men remained stoic and expressionless.

Sousuke made a momentous decision. He found himself growing very tense and anxious, but that was not why he decided to move. He did not want to get any further away from the hangars than he already was. There were far too many people to pass on the way back as it was. And, he stood a good chance of handling two men, as long as he had the element of surprise in his favor.

He took a grenade out of his pocket. Working quickly, he took it apart and disarmed it. He did the same to a second grenade. He knew they were now inert. The two men would not. His plan might frighten Kaname, but he could live with that. He tossed both grenades, letting the pins and handles fall at his feet.

"**Look out!" **

One guard pushed Kaname around a corner. Sousuke could hear her furious complaint.

The other security agent moved quickly to scoop up the grenade and throw it back the way it had come. The time it took that same hand to reach inside his suit for a gun was the delay that allowed Sousuke to throw his knife effectively. The stricken man put his hand to his throat and brought it back bloody. He slid down along the wall and sat down hard.

"Attention. This is…" The uninjured man had taken out a communicator, intent on calling in a warning. Obviously, by the sound of it, Kaname had other ideas, even though she had no idea what was going on.

"_Baka!" _Her shout was followed by the sound of a small plastic box bouncing down the hallway. It stopped at Sousuke's feet.

"Bitch!" The man's cursing was followed by the sound of a blow and a sound of pain. That had Sousuke seeing red. He assumed the man would have a gun out now. The last thing he wanted was for the sound of a gunshot to set off an alarm.

Sousuke took out a number of flash bangs. Throwing them at different distances around the next corner, he moved with a sense of great purpose. This was the moment of truth. What happened in the next thirty seconds would decide the fate of his entire plan.

"_Owww-ww-w_…" The man's cry of pain was the result of Kaname biting him hard on his gun hand. Reflexively, he swept his arm out hard, swatting her away. Too late, he realized it was a fatal reaction. Gun kicked out of his grasp, he crumpled to the ground after the bloody knife was sheathed inside his chest. Aorta severed, he crumpled to the floor, eyes glazing over.

Sousuke stood staring at Kaname. Kaname rubbed her eyes, still smarting from the bright light of the flash bangs. Looking up, she froze.

"S-… S-… Sousuke…" She sounded as if she had seen a ghost. "Sousuke… is that you…"

"Affirmative," Sousuke answered, fighting an urge to run to her. He had to remain vigilant. He could allow her a few seconds of shock and ebullience. But, this was no place or time for unnecessary shows of emotion. "Who _else_ would I be, Kaname?"

"But…" Kaname took a few steps forward. "I never thought…" She shivered all over. "Well, actually I _did_…" Without further adieu, she leaped, wrapping her arms around his neck." After hugging him, she took a step back. "You stink." She couldn't help but wrinkle her nose when catching his unwashed scent.

"Thank you," Sousuke said. "It is good to see you, too." He didn't know why he said that. He usually wasn't flippant. Just the same, it felt good. "Here… move… into that room…" Cautiously, he cracked open a door. Then, somewhat roughly, he pushed Kaname inside.

"Sousuke… I missed you… I didn't know if you were alive…" Kaname looked like she was ready to throw herself on him again.

"Take off your clothes," Sousuke asserted. "Immediately!"

"What?" Kaname's mouth fell open. Then her eyes narrowed and she clenched her fists. _"What?"_

"We don't have time," Sousuke said, walking over to peer out of the door. He threw a pair of coveralls on the floor. He had swiped them from a laundry basket just outside of the hangar bay. "Take off all of your clothing. Leave nothing on."

"**JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU _ARE, _MISTER!" **

Kaname began advancing on him, a look of fire in her eyes. For some reason, she thought back to the time that she had been naked in the nurse's office, during the Full Monty Bacteria incident. That image segued into a memory from the time she had met Leonard, and he had stolen her first real kiss. Needless to say, neither of those recollections brightened her mood.

"**JUST WHAT KIND OF GIRL DO YOU THINK I _AM?"_**

"Shhhh-hhh-hh-h…" Sousuke waved his arms frantically. "You must be quiet."

"I _do?" _Kaname balled up her fists. "I have get naked? I have to be quiet while you paw me? You… big… jerk.." She waved her fist under his nose. Having his attention, she kneed him hard in the groin. "_Hmmmppphhh!"_

"Nnnnn-nnn-nn-ngh…" Sousuke doubled over. "Kaname… you don't understand… they might have bugs in the clothing they gave you…"

"Oh…" Kaname looked somewhat embarrassed. Then, she narrowed her eyes again. "Why didn't you say that? Big idiot!" It was almost as if she had stepped into a page out of the past. She was acting as if she hadn't seen Sousuke for hours, not months. "You better not peek. Molester pervert!" She slid out of her skirt, blouse, and bra. The shoes flew across the room, one of them ending up in a trash bin. "Two points!"

"Panties too," Sousuke said. He was bright read in the face. His face was covered with sweat. He had accidentally looked at her while holding out the stolen coveralls.

"You looked!" Kaname almost collapsed in a fit of self-conscious pique. "You'll pay!"

"A-… A-… Affirmative." Sousuke had to cough to continue. "I request that the payment be deferred. We need to get out of the building before those men's bodies are found, or the odor from the flash bangs reaches a main corridor and draws attention."

"I _know _that, Sousuke." Kaname practically jumped inside the baggy clothing. "I'm not stupid, you know." She set her jaw, eyes flashing. "This is not my first escape." Immediately after that. Her eyes softened. She ran and leaned up against Sousuke for a moment. She sighed when he wrapped his arms around her. Feeling an innate urge to get the last word in as usual, she looked up at him and made a face. "There's no time for this, soldier. We should be escaping or something."

"Put your hair up," Sousuke said unceremoniously. He ignored the look that Kaname gave him when he showed no appreciation of her joke. "Then put this on." He had spied a cap sitting on a desk. "It will save me from having to put a bag over your head." It would be impossible to move a blue-haired girl all the way to the equipment bays.

"_Oooo-ooo-oo-oh_…" Kaname grabbed the hat out of Sousuke's hand. There was no way her hair would fit under it. "Moron…" He had better be joking about that bag part.

"There is a simple solution," Sousuke said, a look of wild fear in his eyes. He knew the danger he faced. This was more hazardous than tap dancing in a minefield. Taking out his knife again, he wiped the blood off on Kaname's discarded clothing. That had her growling. He didn't know if it was because he defaced her outfit, or because she knew what he intended the knife for. "You… uhhh… once you gave me a haircut… uhhh… and…"

"And you thought you would return the favor?" Kaname grew red in the face, but not from embarrassment this time. "Really?" She began moving towards him. _"Really, _Sousuke?" She kicked him hard in the shins. It actually felt good to her. Just like old times.

"I… uhhh… but…" Sousuke stood gaping like a fish out of water. He had made a miraculous trek across the snows, but stood stymied by a brown-eyed blue-haired girl. For a moment, there was a sense of déjà vu. He remembered thinking about Thor and his wife Sif earlier in the day. Seeing Kaname put her hand protectively on her hair, he had no doubt why the memory surfaced at that moment.

Sif had been very proud of her golden hair, which reached down to her feet. One morning, Thor woke to find that Sif's hair had been cruelly cut off during the night. Thor soon caught Loki, the spirit of mischief and evil, and would have strangled him had he not promised to bring Sif a new head of hair as beautiful as the first. Loki found a dwarf who agreed to make the hair for him, and who was persuaded to craft presents for Odin and Frey, who also had reason to be angry with him. The dwarf made a head of hair of the finest gold thread, which he said would grow on Sif's head as soon as it touched it. Then, he made the spear Gungnir for Odin, and a ship for Frey which could sail through the air as well as on the water, and could be folded up like a cloth. When Loki declared that no other dwarf could be as clever as the one he had chosen, another dwarf claimed that he could make three things more wonderful than those. That dwarf made a wild boar with golden bristles, which traveled through the air, and gave out a bright light as it passed; a magic gold ring, that could make eight rings just like it on every ninth night; and the iron hammer, Mjolnir, which no one could resist.

"Give me that knife!" Kaname took the combat blade. She was pragmatist. She knew what she had to do. But, she was damned if she was going to do it before making her displeasure known. _"I'll _do it." Wincing, she began carving off her lustrous locks. "But I'm going to shave you bald when we get home!"

"That…" Sousuke twitched. With Kaname, he never knew when to take her threats seriously. "If we make it back to Tokyo, you can do as you will…" He meant that. He would suffer any calamity, if it meant that she was safe. Not knowing that he was doing so, he began wobbling some. For a moment, he almost blacked out.

"Sousuke… what's wrong…" Kaname rushed to hold him up. "Are you wounded… you should have told me, you big jerk…" Her voice was tinged with fear.

"No wounds," Sousuke said, shaking his head. "I haven't eaten or slept for days. I'm… you …"

"You'll need my help," Kaname said quietly, her usual attitude put aside for now. "Leave it to me!" She stood taller, hand on hip, one finger pointed upward. That was her usual Class Representative pose. "I'll do the driving while you sleep." Her smile faded. It really wasn't that funny a joke. "I know where the cafeteria and snack bars are. We can grab some food on the way out." She didn't even think about asking whether or not Sousuke had a way out. She wouldn't question whether a bird could fly, or ask if a fish might like some water. "We'll be alright. We're a good team."

"Affirmative," Sousuke said. He froze for a moment. Kaname was wearing the Lapis Lazuli he had given her as a necklace. He reached out and touched it gingerly.

"You pushed yourself hard," Kaname said, her eyes watering up. "For me."

Sousuke nodded. He found himself flat against a wall when Kaname jumped against him again. He ran his hand down along what little hair was left, feeling her shake against him as she sobbed.

"I'm sorry… I can't stop… I just can't stop…" Kaname prided herself on being strong. This was a happy moment, seeing Sousuke again. But, all of the fear, sorrow, and helplessness she had been storing up came pouring out. She hadn't cried this much at her mother's funeral.

"We should get going," Sousuke said softly, carefully pushing Kaname away from him. "The Arm Slave I came in was damaged. I made up a story about fighting against an enemy of Amalgam. If the man I spoke to thought to be doubly sure someone had a report of that, they may be mobilizing some kind of search as we speak."

"OK," Kaname said. She nodded her head, and then stared a moment. Tentatively, she stretched out her arm, and brushed her fingers against the stubble on Sousuke's chin.

Some time later, they had made their way back to the hangar without being stopped or questioned. Kaname was walking a little funny. While Sousuke distracted a woman working the counter at one of the small satellite cafeterias, Kaname had crawled over to where the food was kept and stuffed her coveralls with all manner of edible items. It was hardly a dignified thing to do. But, necessity is a very powerful force.

"I have a task for you," Sousuke said, scanning the equipment bays. "The small console on the left of the great doors should hold the switch needed to open them. We must get outside." He waved to the same engineer he had spoken to earlier, trying to keep up appearances. "I will get us a ride."

It was not as simple as it sounded. He had to find an A.S. that was in working order, fully charged, and appropriately armed and loaded. Then, he had to make certain their was no quick pursuit. After that, 'all' they had to do was run off into the snow, navigating at night, heading back over the perilous land he had traversed during the last rays of the day.

"It is not a problem," Kaname said with a quick grin, happy to use one of Sousuke's old phrases. She felt like an idiot, standing there smiling at a time like this. But, she couldn't help herself.

"Hey!" Sousuke conscience tugged at him. He called out to the man who had acted kindly to him earlier. "Someone was looking for you out by the desks. They didn't mention a name, but the description fits." It was stupid. It was an unnecessary risk. But, he had to do it. He already knew what tack he was about to follow. He didn't want the mechanic's blood on his hands. He had helped him find Kaname.

"Huh?" The man rubbed his chin. Then, he nodded his head. "Must be about the requests I made. Thanks!" He gave Sousuke a pat on the back when he headed up the corridor, whistling.

Sousuke then called over to the man with the most officious looking posture. "You there. I have been given a mission. Which machine is ready to go?"

"The one over there," the ugly bearded man said. "But… I was told that we were shutting down for the night…"

"You have now been told otherwise," Sousuke said, making a curt gesture with one hand. "If I take too long, it will be my head on a stake." The look he gave the man clearly said that he would take someone down with him.

"Yeh… sure… whatever…" The man called over to a few other workers. They activated a number of controls that set red lights flashing throughout the hangar. Large tractors pulled their loads off to one side. Men scrambled out of the way as Sousuke climbed up onto the Venom. Opening the cockpit, he caught sight of Kaname. She gave him a 'V' sign. If one of the men didn't open the doors, she would.

"Great!" That voice came back from the mouth of the corridor. "You guys must be getting things ready." The workers turned to see who had spoken. "Word must have gotten here already." It was a man in an A.S. suit. He was followed by two men and one woman in similar clothing. "A number of our units never checked in. The controller is worried that there could be an intruder." He looked over at Sousuke. "Who are you?"

"Jindai High School," Sousuke said, replying the same way he had in Hong Kong. He jumped into his seat and swung the restraints into place. He would carry out his original plan. But, he had to be quicker about it, now. He frowned when he saw the pilots running towards a number of the other Arm Slaves. "Second year, class four." He left the canopy open. "Roll call number 41. Second term garbage duty." He activated the systems that brought the A.S. humming to life. He waited a number of tense moments before systems reached operating power. "Sousuke Sagara!" He whistled. Kaname flicked a switch. The huge doors began sliding open, their ponderous weight resting on a great sliding mechanism.

Men shouted. Some pointed. Compressed air vented from two of the other Venoms. Sousuke looked over at Kaname, making certain that she wasn't about to come under fire. A number of workers were heading for the console. They couldn't be allowed to close the doors.

"**GET DOWN KANAME!" **

Sousuke swung about and fired a series of well placed shots. A number of men were cut down. The blood from one unfortunate worker splashed on Kaname.

"Sous-_kaaaa-aaa-aa-ay_…" Kaname got up and started running again. More projectiles flashed out, passing close to her on both sides. Men fell dead. Fuel drums exploded and shot upward, trailing great tails of flame.

Sousuke switched on the external speakers and turned up the volume.

"**RUN! KANAME, RUN!"**

"What do you _think_ I'm doing, you big stupid head!" Kaname's cap fell off. She put her hands on her head as she ran. Bullets ricocheted off of the thick concrete floor. Some of the workers had taken up small arms.

"**YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER!" **

Sousuke brought around a handheld cannon and fired. The explosion tossed men like rag dolls, ignited a fuel truck, and bowled over freight forklifts like they were made out of tissue paper.

"Nice," Kaname said with a definite touch of approval, as she scampered up the limbs of the Venom like a shorn squirrel.

"Duck," Sousuke said, closing the canopy. "And remain still." Now the hairy stuff began. He had hoped to destroy unmanned Arm Slaves. Those usually didn't shoot back. "Damn!" There were more new arrivals on the scene. Arastols. More than a dozen of them. A few were armed with light anti-tank weapons.

"Sousuke… there's no room…" Kaname squirmed about, finding a place she could sit and hug her knees to her chest. "And don't act like you're the boss of me…" She banged her head on the metal armor of the canopy when a missile fired by one robot missed the venom and struck a gantry right next to it.

"**_NOW!" _**Sousuke threw a lever forward when the last green light lit on the power meter.

"Sous… kay… ay… ay… ay…" Kaname bounced around uncomfortably as the great craft leaped forward and made a series of acrobatic moves. "This… is… _not_… the way… to treat… a lady…"

The words to another song came to mind. They marched through Sousuke's mind like they owned the place. As the lyrics called attention to themselves, Sousuke's world once more dissolved into a series of rapid choices, deft movements, and brutal attacks.

_The pain of war cannot exceed the woe of aftermath,  
The drums will shake the castle wall, the ring wraiths ride in black, Ride on. _

_Sing as you raise your bow, shoot straighter than before.  
No comfort has the fire at night that lights the face so cold._

_Oh dance in the dark of night, Sing to the morning light.  
The magic runes are writ in gold to bring the balance back. Bring it back._

"Bring it back," Sousuke said, not realizing he was speaking out loud. He sent a stinging spray of bullets into a number of Venoms before they were fully operational. Grunting, he made use of the Lambda Driver, tossing those same machines high against the far wall of the enclosure.

"_What?" _Kaname said, her voice muffled. "What did you say?"

"Nothing," Sousuke replied. "Guess." That response had been reflexive. It was one of the things he used to say to Al, when the A.I. had gotten overly inquisitive. He abruptly crouched the A.S. down as two more missile soared overhead, flying out into the formless night. Rather than rushing out after them, he set his teeth and proceeded to remove all possible threats. "No quarter." That was said under his breath. With explosions amplified inside the flame-shrouded hangar, there was no chance that Kaname could have heard.

"Why are we still inside, Sousuke?" Kaname managed to pull herself up to where she could see one of the view screens.

Sousuke didn't answer. He was too focused. Projecting a force shield, he barely managed to avoid destruction. The field of two other machines collided with his. He was not up against amateurs.

Kaname fell backward, bumping her head on Sousuke arm. That caused him to pull one shot, knocking loose a huge girder on the ceiling. That fell and took out a number of Arastols. "See," she said. "I'm helping already." She frowned when she reached for the hair that was no longer there.

Eyes burning, Sousuke fought on, intent on bringing the balance back into his and Kaname's life. The men and women he faced now were not those who had taken her away from him. But, that didn't matter. They would pay the cost. The bill was long overdue.

"I guess this is better than sitting in my room… missing Tokyo… and watching a movie…" Kaname didn't feel nearly as blasé as she sounded. Her hands gripped a handle on one of the heating units. She watched the battle unfold around her, a captive audience of sorts. "Good to see you haven't changed, Sousuke…" In a strange way, there was no other place that she'd rather be.

"Affirmative." Sousuke threw his anti-armor into the largest of the fuel vats. The blade split the sides, causing a spray of fluid. When enough of the floor was covered, he shot off a round from his cannon, setting things ablaze, while at the same time deflecting a ball of force that had been sent his way. As he watched, the flaming fuel caused a number of helicopters and VSTOL jets to explode.

"Get it all out of your system now, mister." Kaname said. "When we get back to Japan, I do _not _want to put up with the same old stuff again. Understand?"

"I cannot promise that," Sousuke said, sending the Venom jumping backward. As he slid out on his back in the snow, he fired shot after shot at the other Arm Slaves. Concentrating, he tried a series of Lambda Driver tricks. As explosions threw up snow on either side of him, one of the enemy machines looked to be torn into three pieces by a giant unseen hand, as multiple planes of force cut through it.

"Take that you loser," Kaname said. She looked at the growing conflagration. "I bet Leonard won't be too happy." She smiled a very big smile.

The fight didn't last much longer. Still wishing he was in Arbalest… but very happy that Belial was nowhere to be seen… Sousuke mopped up the remaining forces. When he was finished, there wasn't an enemy left alive, or a piece of equipment left in one piece. But, it made no sense to rest on his laurels. There might well be other sites housing soldiers and equipment. Whether or not there were, all of Amalgam's horses and all of Amalgam's men would never put that hangar back together again.

"You should find the best position possible," Sousuke said, walking off into the black of night with a raging orange glow at his back. "We have a long way to go."

"Wonderful," Kaname said. "Great." She sniffed. "I wish these things came with air fresheners. You know… those little green trees they hang in cars…" She tried to keep from grinning. "If you're going to rescue a girl… you should bathe and shave first…"

"I will remember that with the next girl," Sousuke said. He had the post-action tremors, more because of his condition than from the effects of battle.

"There better not be a next girl!" Kaname shyly reached out a hand to touch his arm. That simple act was a miracle. He was really there. In the dim glowing light of the instrument panels and view screens, he looked like something out of a fantasy or legend. He had come for her, just the way that princes and heroes did in stories. "You know…" She propped herself up on her knees and poked Sousuke in the chest. "You may not be so useless… stupid… or cowardly… anymore…" She remembered what she had said to him in Hong Kong.

"It is reassuring to know that." Sousuke wanted to hold Kaname. He wanted to enjoy his success. He wanted to sleep for a week. But, they were escaping from an enemy base… the clouds overhead blocked out any light from the moon… and he didn't know how much longer he could go on.

"Is that all you can say, Sousuke?" Kaname swallowed hard, hating the petulant sound of her voice. She knew that Sousuke must be busy, not to mention exhausted. Despite that, she felt a seed of worry begin to grow inside her breast. He came to get her because he loved her, _didn't _he? This wasn't something he did out of a sense of duty and obligation, was it? To hear Leonard speak, it sounded as if Mithril didn't exist anymore.

"You know my feelings for you," Sousuke said, wincing when the foot of the A.S. found a deep fissure and sank up to one hip. "This rescue should be further proof."

"Girls like words, Sgt. Solemn." Kaname shimmied up against the unyielding metal behind her. She lay her head on the metal restraints covering Sousuke's shoulder. If she had hair, it would have spilled over him then. She couldn't hold back her emotions any longer. Safe or not, she gave into them. "I missed you so much. I almost thought about killing myself again. I knew you'd come." Her tears began running down the angled steel. "I love you so much…"

Sousuke removed one arm from the waldo unit. He touched one of Kaname's tears, and then ran his hand over her head. He felt an upwelling of emotion himself. Burned out and close to collapse, his feelings buoyed him. That in itself filled him with wonder. "I love you too," he said quietly.

They continued on their way in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. The clouds parted, allowing an unearthly light to paint the featureless landscape. On the monitors, the glacier looked like a pale thin strip of white. When he switched the setting on his controls for better night viewing, the red cockpit illumination made that stretch of land look red, almost as if it were lined with glowing coals.

"The Bifröst Bridge," Sousuke whispered. It _did _sort of look like a long tenuous bridge.

"Huh?" Kaname raise her head. "What bridge?"

"Bifröst," Sousuke said. "The bridge leading from Midgard to Asgard, which the gods travel daily to hold their councils under the shade of the tree Yggdrasill." He coughed, his mouth going dry. He took a bottle of spring water that Kaname handed him and greedily gulped it down. "The bridge itself was a rainbow, guarded by the god Heimdall. The red color in it was flaming fire, which served as a defense against the giants. It was built by the Æsir, and will be destroyed at the end of the world."

"You'll be destroyed," Kaname said. "It will be the end of _your_ world, if I have to hear any more otaku stuff. I didn't wait all that time for rescue to hear that kind of nonsense. _Sheee-ee-esh_…" She closed her eyes tightly, imagining what it would be like, listening to Sousuke spout off about who knows what… for days.

"I will be quiet, then." Sousuke knew precisely what those words would accomplish. He wondered how long Kaname could withstand the silence under the current conditions. He pushed a button on the control panel, activating a timing clock.

Kaname made a face. She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her nose up while pursing her lips. She was well aware that Sousuke was playing some kind of stupid immature game. Jerk! Idiot! Moron! Stupid head! She'd show him. She'd fall asleep or something.

"Sousuke…" Kaname couldn't help herself. She had been a virtual prisoner for months. She had been courted by a persistent Leonard and pressured to share her Whispered secrets. She had so much that she wanted to say, and even more that she wanted to hear.

"Two minutes, twenty three seconds." Sousuke reached over and turned off the timer. "You have gotten better, too."

"Let's save the kid stuff until we get home, OK?" Kaname sounded miffed. It wasn't really a contest. She had not lost.

"As you wish," Sousuke said. "I will not speak of this victory until then."

"It was not…" Kaname caught herself. She bit her lip, holding in her denial. Who was being childish? "We have a long trip ahead, don't we. What should you and I talk about? There's so much you must have gone through…" That ought to get him to open up. "I received a message of sorts from a red-haired girl." She lowered her eyes. Nami had been her name. Another Whispered. She had died, but still managed to get word of Sousuke to her somehow.

Sousuke remained silent for a few moments, not wanting to think back to Nami's death. It would be too easy to view the people who died as stepping stones leading to this very moment. He would not dishonor her or any of the others that way. Still not safe by any stretch of the imagination, he also did not feel like speaking about his past. He nodded his head. There was something he would talk about for a short while, if only to tease Kaname.

"_Well?" _Kaname sighed. She had forgotten how much Sousuke was very much like a glacier. He could be quiet and unmovable at times. But, he wasn't really cold. She knew that now. For good reason! She had been the one who helped him touch his feelings. That was a reason to feel proud. That was the greatest victory. That, and his belated rescue of her. "Earth to Sousuke…"

"Thor… called Donar by some… was the red-haired and bearded god of war and thunder in Norse Mythology, and Germanic mythology in general." Sousuke said. "He was said to be the son of Odin and Jord. His mother was the personification of the earth."

"Sousuke…" Kaname scowled.

"Thor features strongly in the _Prose Edda _of Snorri Sturluson, in which the god's many conflicts with the race of giants are a main source of plots." Sousuke continued. He watched Kaname out the corner of his eye for a few moments, before glancing back at the view screen. "As most of the surviving myths center on his exploits… and the inscriptions on surviving monuments… one can deduce that Thor was very much the favorite deity of ancient Scandinavians."

"Sous-_kaaa-aa-ay_…" Kaname began tapping her foot against the canopy wall.

"According to Alvíssmál, Thor's daughter Thrud was promised to Alvis, a dwarf." Sousuke piloted the A.S. away from a descending slope. He had no idea where that might lead. Taking a deep breath, he resumed his tale. It might have Kaname thinking about her abduction; but, she should enjoy picturing Tessa's brother as a dwarf. "Thor came up with a plan to stop Alvis from marrying his daughter. He told Alvis that, because of his small height, he had to prove his wisdom. Alvis agreed, and Thor made the tests last until after the sun had risen. Since dwarves turn to stone when exposed to sunlight, Alvis was petrified. There was no reason to wed his daughter to a stone."

"**_S-O-U-S-U-K-E-!"_**

Kaname tried to stand, an unwise move. She also got up too quickly. That caused her to bang her head and see stars. She used her knuckles to rap on the top of Sousuke head, since he wasn't wearing an A.S. helmet. "_This_ is made of stone, I think!" She gave him one final rap. "No… otaku… stuff…"

"Perhaps I should have stayed in Tokyo," Sousuke said. "I will talk about a more recent saga, then. If you like, I will cover the beginning later." He rubbed the top of his head, and then put his arm back on the control lever. "A hero had entered the lair of the enemy. There, he came across an engineer, who mistakenly thought that he was a member of the same dark alliance. Cleverly, he decided to use the man to gain needed intelligence data. When the other man said that the A.S. looked like it had seen heavy fighting, the brave and unfairly mistreated pilot said 'Maybe something heroic like this can catch the eye of a pretty blue-haired wench.' He had meant to say 'girl'."

"I see," Kaname said, narrowing her eyes.

"The mechanic said 'Wench is right! That's not the half of it! Mr. Silver brought her for a tour down here once'." Sousuke watched as the wind blew whisps of snow past the Venom. The shapes made by the darting snowflakes almost looked like dogs. He nodded his head. Those dogs of doom sped past him, in the direction of the base they had just left. "'She's got a mouth on her, that one does. Take my advice. Don't even bother dreaming about someone like her. Find yourself someone cuddly and soft. That's girl would have a porcupine crying!' He had a colorful way of putting things."

"Yes," Kaname said, her nostrils flaring. "He certainly did. What did the… hero… say after that?"

"He said 'My love of danger will serve me poorly some day'." Sousuke turned up the gain on the external microphones, worried that Amalgam might have remaining helicopters with night vision.

"You were right!" Kaname smiled. There was something that she had promised herself. She was a woman of her word. Now was as good a time as any, as far as she was concerned. Banging her head again, she didn't care. Putting her arms around Sousuke's neck, she gave him a passionate kiss.

"_Mmmm-nnnn-mmmm_…" Sousuke couldn't get a word out. Now was not the best time for a distraction. Sure enough, unable to watch the viewer, he made a misstep. The A.S. went sliding, tumbling, and sprawling down an icy slope.

"Owww-www-w…" Kaname moaned, tenderly touching a lump that was forming on top of her forehead. "I thought you were a better pilot than that!"

Sousuke sighed. He was beginning to think that Kaname was the only thing that might stop them from reaching sanctuary.

"Lighten up," Kaname said. "When I get the opportunity, I'll do a better job of showing you my appreciation." She blew him a kiss, wanting to see how he reacted. She smiled when he got that 'deer-in-the-headlights' look. Perfect.

Sousuke shivered.


	3. Chapter 3

The last of the snow had melted.

Tokyo's streets and sidewalks were free of slush and ice patches. But, even when the ground had been white, Japan had looked nothing like Norway.

"You will be fine," Sousuke said to Kaname, noticing how she was fidgeting. "You _look _fine."

"That's easy for you to say. You have a nice haircut." Kaname replied. Giving Sousuke a haircut had been one of the first things that she had done, after setting foot back in her home city. "There's still a long time to go, before _my _hair grows back!"

"Affirmative," Sousuke agreed. Weeks had passed since they left the beautiful but deadly snow-covered mountains. Their travels in more civilized climates had been fraught with peril too, as agents from Amalgam had hounded them for a while. There was no telling what the future might bring; but, now was not the time to be thinking about _that. _"I still think that your own hair looks nice. The style was popular in Europe." She had shaped her remaining hair into an attractive page-boy bob.

"This is _not_ Europe, Sousuke." Kaname made a face that clearly said 'You just don't get it, _do _you?' She shook her head. "It is not the way I looked when I left." She checked her wig for the tenth time. Fortunately for her, medical supply stores had a fair selection of wigs for cancer patients and anyone who had undergone cranial surgery.

"Either is this," Sousuke added, unwisely. Kaname was not in the mood to be contradicted. Then again, she was _never_ in the mood for that. "You look good as a brunette… but…" he shrugged.

"**Baka!" **

Kaname reached over and pinched him. She pouted when he didn't even look the slightest bit discomforted. Big inconsiderate ogre! "It's long. It's beautiful. It doesn't _have_ to be blue." It didn't have to be blue since they had checked every wig manufacturer in Japan, and had spent considerable time on line. Their was no market for blue wigs.

"If you pinch me again, you will regret it." Sousuke made it a point to brush off one sleeve. He was growing more vocal in these little spats. "I never finished telling you about the Vikings." Whenever Kaname had gotten too uppity during their travels, he resorted to his new trick. " I told you that the name Viking is a borrowed word from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, the British Isles, and other parts of Europe from the late 8th century to the 11th century. But, while I mentioned that the Vikings traveled to the west, I never spoke of the Varangians, who traveled east. They were best known as the Varangian Guards of the Byzantine emperors…"

"Don't you tell me what I will regret!" Kaname tossed her substitute hair, hitting Sousuke in the face with it. "I have a long list already. _Hmmmpppfff!" _She looked around her, feeling her heart beat faster. The two of them were standing on a street corner, with a good view of Jindai High School. She was drinking a latte while Sousuke finished off his second protein bar of the morning. "I regret finding out I was Whispered. I regret becoming a member of the Kidnapping-of-the-Month Club. I regret meeting Leonard Testarossa, even though he and his stupid robots saved my life." She also regretted his stealing her first kiss; but, she had made up for that by kissing Sousuke whenever possible. "If you keep talking about all that Norse stuff, I'm going to regret leaving with him to save a certain ungrateful soldier's life!"

"No doubt you will regret my rescuing you, too." Sousuke said, knowing that always made her lean against him, no matter how many times he said it.

"Nice try, mister." Taking another sip, Kaname sidled over next to Sousuke, placing her weight on him. She smiled when his arm automatically found its assigned place around her waist.

"Your rescue need not be an exclusive thing," Sousuke said. "You know that I heard from Tessa." He felt Kaname twitch. "I remember telling her once that she was a friend, not just my commanding officer. I promised her that I would come to her assistance, if she ever needed help." He frowned. Latte just spilled on his freshly polished shoe. That was probably deliberate. "With Mithril rebuilding, she will need operatives that she can trust."

"Negative," Kaname said, putting her arm around Sousuke after flipping the empty cup into a nearby trash can. "No way." She squeezed him tightly enough to make his eyes go wide. "Not going to happen." They had been in Japan for a short period of time. She was not about to picture Sousuke leaving her side any time soon.

"Kurz and Melissa will want to hear about my mission against Amalgam," Sousuke said. "I would also like to find out if there is any further word on Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin."

"That's what they have telephones for, Sousuke." Kaname looked up at his face, wrinkling her nose. "If you like, we can send them a fax. I'll pay."

"It is not the same," Sousuke said. Truth be told, he was in no hurry to leave Kaname's side. But, there was also something honest about the words he spoke. He _did_ want to see his friends. It had been a tremendous relief, hearing that they had survived. No doubt, they had tales to tell, too.

"You wouldn't really leave me, _would _you?" Kaname swallowed hard. She knew that he was playing along with her. But, just the same, her insecurity rose to the fore.

"I do _not_ like pinching, Kaname." Sousuke took a rag out of his bag. It was the one he used to clean the weapons he had acquired. Bending over, he cleaned off the tip of his shoe. "No one aboard _Da Danaan _treated me that way."

"Cry baby." Kaname said, letting go of Sousuke. She smiled when he almost lost his balance, bent over like that, bereft of her support. The analogy was perfect! She would make certain that he understood that soon enough.

"If you have your nerve now, may we finish our walk?" Sousuke found himself feeling impatient. It wasn't because he was in any rush to see his old classmates. He did indeed want to do that, but knew the opportunity would come soon enough. No. It was their being out in the open. He scanned the buildings in their vicinity, wondering if someone would come after Kaname again. "You woke me up early this morning so that we could prepare properly." Preparing properly meant that he got to watch as she kept trying on the new outfits that she had bought during their travels. She had arranged to get money wired from her jubilant father.

"If it's not one thing with you, it's always another." Kaname made a face. "Honestly. I know you had a hard life; but, it's not like you were raised by wolves or something." She followed his gaze. For a moment, she wondered how Wraith was. What country might the North Korean woman be in now?

Sousuke shivered when a chill breeze blew past him. He saw images from their escape across the mountains. The journey out had been nearly as bad as the trip in. The wolves at their heels had been men. But, they had died while he and Kaname lived.

_They hold no quarter. They ask no quarter.  
The pain, the pain without quarter.  
They ask no quarter.  
The dogs of doom are howling more! _

"Sousuke?" Kaname sounded worried. She shook him gently. "Sousuke, are you OK?" She scrutinized his face. "Were you thinking about Norway again?" As difficult as the journey had been for her, she knew that Sousuke had borne the brunt of it. Not only that, he had fought his way to her side before they ran off together.

"Yes," Sousuke admitted. "But, it was just another mission. He took a step back when he saw a look of anger appear on his girlfriend's face. "You know what I mean."

"Affirmative," Kaname said. "If you're done daydreaming, could we please head on over to the school now?" She couldn't hide her grin. She couldn't put into words how much it meant to her, being able to trade quips with him like this.

As they were nearing the top of the stairs, a car drove past on the street below. The passenger side window was down, and music was blaring. The lyrics were in English:

_You need coolin', baby, I'm not foolin',  
I'm gonna send you back to schoolin',  
Way down inside honey, you need it,  
I'm gonna give you my love,  
I'm gonna give you my love. _

_Wanna Whole Lotta Love_

_Wanna Whole Lotta Love _

_Wanna Whole Lotta Love _

_Wanna Whole Lotta Love _

Kaname and Sousuke looked at one another. They blushed, and then looked away. . Kaname laughed that characteristic laugh of hers, as she looked for familiar faces in the school windows. Sousuke made it a point to study the clouds overhead. He froze. He had heard that song before. Kurz again. One particular line stood out.

_I'm gonna give you every inch of my love_

That was not the kind of thing he should be thinking about, not with Kaname standing there. Being who he was, he began sweating again. He hadn't done anything wrong. He hadn't asked for that car to drive past. He hadn't purposefully thought those thoughts. Involuntarily, he stood at attention.

"Sousuke, why are you sweating?" Kaname was glad to have something to focus on. She too had thought things that she wasn't ready to think yet. She and Sousuke weren't ready. Period. "_Sheee-ee-esh_. They're your classmates. They're our friends." She misinterpreted his reasons for perspiring. "You did what you promised…"

"Yes," Sousuke said after coughing. "I did." He found himself sneaking a look at Kaname. He was doing that more and more. Again, this was not the best time. Especially since Kaname caught him.

"Just what do you think you're looking at?" Kaname put her hands on her hips. Sousuke had not been looking at her face. She didn't know whether to kick up her heals, or to clobber him. "_Hmmm-mm-m_…" She flexed the fingers on one hand. She wondered if the halisen was in her old locker, where she had left it.

"I… it is nothing bad…" Sousuke began walking stiffly, much the way he had after telling Tessa that she was more than a friend, after their virtual meeting with General Ammitt and the other Mithril council members. "We should be going now… there is nothing to be gained by delaying further…"

"We'll talk about this later then," Kaname drawled, a twinkle in her eyes. Sousuke was certainly one of a kind. She wouldn't trade him for anyone else in the world. "When you're up for it."

"Up?" Sousuke gulped. He couldn't help but hear those lyrics in his head again. "Kaname?" He moved his weapons bag in front of his crotch area. He stared straight ahead, sweat drenching his collar.

"Huh?" Kaname raised one eyebrow. Her eyes went wide, and then narrowed to mere slits. "Let's go, before you get in _more_ trouble." Not caring if anyone was watching, she reached out and grabbed Sousuke's ears. She began pulling him after her. "_Pervert. _I should beat you to within an inch of your life!" That word 'inch' did not help matters. Neither did the rest of her admonition.

Sousuke was lucky that she didn't realize what her words sounded like. If she had, she would have blamed him. His ear hurt enough as it was. But, it was better than the pinching. "One step at a time." He had meant Kaname's behavior. But, he knew that the words applied to other things as well. Kaname's kidnapping had brought great change to his world. Her rescue promised to do the same.

"What?" Kaname stopped and let go of Sousuke's ear. "Did you say something?" She felt torn. She wanted to know what he had said. But, she felt anxious. She needed to get this done. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and the anticipation had grown even stronger. Anticipation, and fear. "No dawdling!" She grimaced. Her voice had cracked.

"Kaname…" Sousuke stood still for a moment. He nodded his head, walked over to Kaname, and put a hand on each shoulder. "It is alright to be afraid…"

"Afraid?" Kaname tossed her hair. She had to stop doing that. The last thing she wanted was for the wig to fall off or get crooked. "What makes you think I'm scared of something? Big idiot!" She waved one hand about. "Ah hah hah hah hah hah hah _hahhh."_

"They will not blame you for anything," Sousuke insisted. "If anything, they will hold me responsible." He stood straighter, the breeze tugging at the tips of his hair. Taking the train through the city, he had seen where buildings were being repaired, or where they had been torn down all together. He thought back to the fight against Belial. It was unfortunate, that Arbalsest and Al didn't have a grave of sorts.

"Not if _I _have anything to say about it." Kaname spoke quietly, but her face promised trouble for anyone who saw Sousuke as something other than a hero.

"Thank you," Sousuke said. At that moment, he realized again how many good things he had in his life."

"For what?" Kaname's eyes looked vulnerable. She too had a lot to be thankful for.

"Everything," Sousuke said.

"Oh." Kaname leaned her head against him. "If you make me cry… I'll kill you…" She sniffed. "You know how much time I took with my make-up."

"To the minute," Sousuke replied.

"You…" Kaname willed herself to be calm. "OK. Let's go. For real this time." With that, she turned around and walked up to the doors. Taking a deep breath, she opened one and stepped inside the school. It was like stepping into the past.

"We should visit the Principal first," Sousuke said, walking through a throng of students hurrying between classes. He watched as Kaname sought out everyone's face, wanting to find someone she recognized. They were all from the junior-most class, and had started at the school after a certain sergeant and the Student Council Vice President had left. "She is the professional here."

When they walked into the administrative suite, everything went dead quiet. The secretaries and administrative assistants recognized the two of them, even with Kaname's wig.

"Sousuke Sagara, previously of Class 4, second year." Sousuke stood at attention, eyes forward.

"We're here to see Mrs. Tsuboi," Kaname said, rolling her eyes. That brought a smile from the shocked women.

"She's in her office," one secretary said. "She's alone. Why don't you go in and see her." She grinned. She thought about buzzing the room, but decided against it. The Principal had been feeling under the weather. This ought to shake her out of her funk.

Sousuke moved to knock on the doorframe to the office in question. The door was part open.

"Yes?" Takako Tsuboi's voice called out.

"Ma'am," Sousuke barked out, as if he was addressing a commanding officer during inspection. "Sgt. Sousuke Sagara requesting permission to enter."

"Baka," Kaname said with a sigh.

"Oh… yes… and Kaname Chidori, too." Sousuke watched as the middle-aged woman stood up so quickly that she almost knocked over her heavy desk chair.

"That's not what I meant," Kaname said, hanging her head. It was going to take a lot of work to break some of Sousuke's habits.

"Please! Come in!" The startled woman ushered the two teenagers into her office, had them sit, and asked if they wanted anything to drink. After that, she wanted to hear everything they felt comfortable telling her. She winced when she saw Kaname pinch Sousuke. He had felt compelled to say something about Vikings. For some reason that word was taboo.

After spending a pleasant thirty minutes chatting, Kaname began moving about in her chair more and more. That had Mrs. Tsuboi smiling. "Eager to see your friends?" She looked over at Sousuke, who sat up straighter. "I think you will get a warm welcome."

"I hope so," Kaname said, standing up. "At least, for me." She elbowed Sousuke lightly. "A certain boy doesn't need any encouragement… if you know what I mean."

"I do," the Principal said. Her smile didn't fade, even though she thought back to the things that had happened on one particularly fateful day. "Were you thinking of enrolling again?" Their names had been struck off of the register after a certain period of time. "I might be able to accomplish that, even without the usual monetary inducements for Mister Sagara."

"I think so," Kaname admitted, looking down at her feet. Before she wanted to commit to anything, she needed to see whether or not she would be accepted. "To be honest… I haven't really thought that far ahead yet…" She stiffened, thinking of something. "I wouldn't want to… if Sousuke wasn't allowed back, too…" She reached out to grab his hand. The older woman nodded knowingly.

After bowing and saying their good byes, it was time for the two of them to take the next step. As they walked through the halls, they each relived past moments, both good and bad.

"They have new lockers," Sousuke observed.

"I wonder why," Kaname said wryly.

Passing by so many familiar rooms, trophy cases, and placards, Sousuke almost felt as if he were returning home. It was strange how he had come to feel about the school, seeing how much he had dreaded coming there on that very first day. In a way, this visit was like starting over. But, at the same time, he felt like a Norse warrior returning from a long raid, bringing his booty home with him. He was not about to mention any of that to Kaname.

He would most certainly say nothing about 'booty.'

"No grenades," Kaname said. "No guns." She grabbed his arm and brought him to an abrupt halt. "No knives." She looked him directly in the eyes. "No trouble."

"If there is no… _owww-ww-w_… Kaname, that hurt…" Sousuke cringed after Kaname pulled on his ear again.

"No trouble, Sousuke. No matter what." Kaname sounded and looked adamant.

The two of them found themselves outside of the classroom they wanted. Kaname was speechless for a moment. They had hung a large picture of her on the wall outside. It was wreathed with fresh flowers. All sorts of well-wishing statements had been written on cards attached to it.

There was no picture of Sousuke. He had not expected one. The only thing that mattered was that they still seemed to hold Kaname in high esteem. He rapped on the door frame.

"Yes?" That was Eri Kagurazaka's voice. She must have agreed to lead the class again, after they had all moved up a grade. There was the sound of footsteps. The door slid open. "…" The teacher's eyes went wide. She looked ready to pass out. The chalk she had been holding slipped out from between numb fingers and rolled out into the hallway.

"May we come in," Kaname asked politely, bowing.

"You may check my bag if you wish." Sousuke held his satchel up. It held weapons. The teacher was a wise woman. She should be expecting that.

"Is something wrong, sensei?" That sounded like Kyouko's voice. That brought tears to Kaname's eyes.

"Ky," Kaname whispered, She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.

Eri nodded her head, tears coming to her eyes too. "Class… we have some visitors… I expect you all to be on your best behavior…" She shook her head when Sousuke held out his bag again.

Kaname stepped into the classroom. Sousuke hesitated a moment, until Eri told him everything would be fine. The room went dead silent for a few moments. No one could believe what they were seeing. The spell was broken when a girl with pigtails stood up.

"Ka… na… _maaaa-aaa-aa-ay_…" Kyouko ran to hug her friend. The two of them were soon crying.

Sousuke looked around the room, ready to accept whatever angry stares he saw. He saw Shinji's mouth fall open. He watched as Maya, Ryo, and the other girls hurried to surround Kaname. Taking a deep breath, he looked over at Ono-D.

"Well, look who came back guys." Ono-D leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head. "It's the soldier boy." He shrugged. "So… do you think this makes everything better…"

"I do not know," Sousuke said, tensing up some.

"Well I do." Ono-D raised one hand, silencing the boys who had all spoken up at once. He stood up, straightened his uniform shirt, and walked over to stand in front of Sousuke, a stern look on his face. Without warning, he smiled. "Thanks." He gave Sousuke a light punch to the arm. "And sorry." After that, the boys hurried to stand around the young soldier.

When things settled down a bit, and everyone began returning to their seats, Ono-D walked over to Kaname. He eyed her brown hair critically. "Is that dyed?" Before Kaname knew what was happening, he reached out his hand. "Or is it a wig?" He picked the wig up off of her hair.

Everything went quiet again. Kaname began seething. She looked over at Sousuke. "Forget what I said about trouble."

"If you wish." Sousuke reached into his bag and took out a tazer.

"Wait… I didn't do anything to hurt her…" Ono-D began backing up, until he was stopped by the wall. "Sousuke… buddy… pal…"

Sousuke wasn't go to do anything to hurt his friend; but, Ono-D didn't know that. "No quarter…"

**THE END**


End file.
